Workers are making up every excuse in the book to skip out on work to watch the US take on Belgium. Photo: Getty Images

Just call it the “soccer sickness.”

World Cup diehards will use every excuse in the book to skip out of work Tuesday to catch Team USA’s round-of-16 showdown against Belgium — a game they say is so big, they don’t care about getting caught.

John MatosPhoto: Chad Rachman

John Matos, of The Bronx, is polishing up his alibi so he can ditch his hospital job early and get a seat at Josie Woods Pub in Greenwich Village for the 4 p.m. game.

“I’m going to pick up my phone and pretend that I’ve gotten an important phone call or e-mail and close my work station and leave by 2:30,” said Matos, 47, a lifelong World Cup fan.

“I’m not worried about getting caught. It’s expected. They’d be proud of me,” he said.

Aaron CohenPhoto: Chad Rachman

Meanwhile, NYU grad student and chemistry researcher Aaron Cohen, 24, plans to play it safe and take a two-hour break to get his Cup fix.

“I’ll leave work for the game and come back. My boss won’t be in,” said Cohen. “There is a zero percent chance of me getting in trouble. My boss wouldn’t care.”

The soccer sickness seems to be spreading, as more people are playing hooky to watch the World Cup.

Last week, 1.7 million fans watched as USA advanced to the next round despite losing to Germany 1-0, according to ESPN. They used excuses ranging from long lunch meetings to the plain old calling out sick.

Those who couldn’t get time off flipped on the game at work, with fans tweeting pictures of colleagues gathered around TV screens.

Unlike last week’s noon start, workers may opt to cut out early for the 4 p.m. kickoff.

“I don’t care if I get caught. If I were to get in trouble, I would use the old dual citizen argument,” joked Lawrence De Gest, 27, a dual US-Belgian citizen who’ll be rooting for Belgium.